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Article published In: FORUM
Vol. 15:1 (2017) ► pp.85–105

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The ideological role of selective translation in reconfiguration of news frames

 | Sheikhbahaee University
 | Shahreza Branch, Islamic Azad University
Published online: 4 September 2017
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/forum.15.1.05sha
Abstract
Drawing on social and cognitive models of news frame theory and argumentative approach to political discourse analysis, we studied how a declaration made by an Iranian general about revoking the citizenship of Bahrain uprising movement’s leader was selectively translated and reframed in 7 English news websites. The findings revealed that the reframed texts, on the one hand, suppressed the values and circumstantial premises of the declaration, and on the other hand, reframed the text in such a way that portrayed Iran as an interventionist seeking sectarianism in Bahrain. This study indicated that what underwent shift were not just arbitrary words and phrases; rather, the whole frame was reconfigured according to the interests of the news websites. In this process, selective translations were merely used as incontrovertible proof to support the frame buttressed by the target news websites.
Résumé
En nous appuyant sur des modèles sociaux et cognitifs de la théorie du cadrage des actualités, et selon une approche argumentative de l'Analyse du Discours politique, nous nous sommes mis à étudier la Traduction sélective et les nouveaux cadrages d'une déclaration prononcée par un Général iranien, à propos de la révocation de la citoyenneté du Leader du Mouvement insurrectionnel de Bahreïn, à travers sept réseaux d'informations anglaises. Les trouvailles nous ont révélé que, d'une part, les textes ré-encadrés répriment les aspects circonstanciels et valides de la déclaration, et d'autre part, ils ré-encadrent la déclaration d'une telle manière à ce qu'ils présentent l'Iran comme étant un intervenant, en quête de sectarisme de Bahreïn. Cette étude nous a démontré que dans les tournures, ce ne sont pas juste les mots et les phrases arbitraires qui changent, mais également, tout le cadrage est reconfiguré conforme aux intérêts des réseaux d'informations. Dans ce genre de processus, les traductions sélectives, seront utilisées juste en tant que preuves irréfutables et supports pour les cadrages confirmés par les agences de presses cibles.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical framework
  • 3.Procedure
  • 4.Analysis
    • 4.1The original statement
    • 4.2The reframed texts
      • 4.2.1Selective appropriation
      • 4.2.2Overstatement
      • 4.2.3Labels
      • 4.2.4Temporal framing
      • 4.2.5Inclusion of temporary narrators
  • 5.Conclusion and discussion
  • References
References (43)
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Cited by (3)

Cited by three other publications

Zhang, Linyu & Akmar Hayati Ahmad Ghazali
2024. Stance Variation and Selective Appropriation in English-Chinese BBC News Translations: A Dual Approach. Journal of Asian Linguistic Anthropology 6:3 ► pp. 71 ff. DOI logo
Zanettin, Federico
2021. News Media Translation, DOI logo
Valdeón, Roberto A.
2020. Journalistic translation research goes global: theoretical and methodological considerations five years on. Perspectives 28:3 ► pp. 325 ff. DOI logo

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